Counterpoise



Patented Mar. 23, 1925 BRYAN P. JOYCE, DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO DAVID M. KING.

COUNTEREOISE.

Application filed May 2, 1925, Serial No. 27,570.

(GRANTED THE ACT F MARCH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BRYAN I).l Joran, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Davenport, county of Scott, and State of Iowa, have invented an Improvement in Counterpoise, of which the following is a specification.

Ihe invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers 1o or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty'thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a counterpoise intended primarily for use with heavy ordnance but not restricted to such use as it may be employed as a component part of any object mounted for oscillation.

In the employment of counterpoises with oscillatory bodies, it has been found that their moment curves practically coincide until the body attains an approximate elevation of 45o after which the force exerted by the counterpoise is unduly excessive.

Ihe principal object of the present invention is to provide means to compensate for the variation between the moment curves of the counterpoise and oscillatory bodies. In

accomplishing this purpose a plurality of resilient means are employed in the counterpoise which are successively brought into action to counteract the excessive expansive force exerted by the counterpoise as the oscillatory body is elevated above 450. These counteracting elements or agents are disposed between the casing and the plunger and are actuated at a suitable time during extension of the counterpoise.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is a. longitudinal sectional view through a counterpoise constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing by numerals of reference:

The counterpoise forming the subject matter of this invention is designed to be mounted in a manner similar to that described in Patents No. 1,460,419 and No. 1,460,420 issued to me on July 3, 1923.

The counterpoise consists of a cylindrical casing 1, provided with the usual trunnions 2 adapted to be retained in the outer ends of arms fixed to the axis of oscillation of a gun or other body and closed at its upper end by a threadedly adjustable head 3. Reciprocal within the casing is a plunger casing 4 which by means of a ring 5 carries a base 6 in which is threaded an axial piston 65 rod 7. An aperture 8 is provided in the plunger assembly and outer casing 1 for the purpose of temporarily receiving a pin to hold the counterpoise in compressed position against the action of a pair of main springs 9-9 separated by a ring 10. One of these springs bears against the ring 5 of the plunger assembly and the other bears against a spacer ring 11 confined by the head 3. This spacer ring serves to center and retain a sleeve 12 having spaced keys 13 receivable between depending lugs 14 in the head 3 and provided with internal longitudinal slots 15 for receiving feathers 16 of the piston head 17 whereby to prevent rotation of the piston 80 during reciprocation. The lower end of the slotted portion of the sleeve constitutes a shoulder 18 which serves to limit movement of a seat 19 apertured to receive the piston rod and formed with a tubular extension 19. 85 A spring 20 confined between the seat and a base ring 21 threaded in the lower end of the sleeve normally maintains the seat 19 against the shoulder. A spring 22 which is of less strength than the spring 20 is sup- 90 ported on theopposite side of the movable seat 19.

With the counterpoise collapsed as shown, the free end 22 of this spring is spaced a Sufficient distance from the piston head 17 95 so that it will not contact therewith to oppose the expansive force until the oscillatory body has obtained a predetermined elevation, preferably 45.

l/Vith the oscillatory body in horizontal position, the counterpoise is collapsed, the weight of the unbalanced end of the body being sufficient to counterbalance the expansive force of the main springs 9 9 in the counterpoise. As the body is elevated the counterpoise is extended, its full effective power being exerted until the spring 22 contacts the piston head 17 at which time the force exerted diminished bythe energy .required to Vcoi'npre'ss the spring 22, Athe amount of the diminuation being predetermined so as to maintain the opposing forces in constant relation. The sp'ring'2'2 acts in opposition to the main springs until such time as the piston head 17 contacts the end of the tubular extension 19 when the springV 2O comes into action. The strength of the counteracting springs 20 and 22 is so regulated as to compensate for the variation between the moment curves'of the counterpoise and oscillatory body. The total resistance necessary to vbe supplied to compensate for the variations ot the opposing forces may be divided intoV its several components by providing any number of such springs.

'In lowering the body the springs tend to collapse the counterpoise until such time as they are 4fully extended when the full force of the counterpoise comes into play.

While in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment nf the'invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation ci the 'invention should only be conclusive when made in the light ofthe subjoined claims.

I claim: o l

l. A counterpoise embodying telescoping casings,lresilient means for extending the counterpoise, a sleeve having a shoulder held at the end of the outer lcasing by said means, a piston concentric on the inner .casing vand working in said sleeve, an .annular seat formed with va tubular extension disposed 'in' the sleeve, .a spring coniined between an end of the sleeve andthe seat .and normally ,holding the seat `against the shoulder, an unconiined spring .supported on the opposite side .of the seat Sand extended beyond the tubular extension, and ya piston head yadapted after initial extension of the counterpoise to first compress the unconfined spring and then yto movethe seat to compress the confined spring. l

.2. A counterpoise embodying .telescoping casings, resilient means lfor extending the counterpoise, a conned and an lunconiined spring carried with the outer casing, the latter spring being of less strength than the former, vand means carried by the inner cas- 'ing whereby after initial extension of the counterpoise the springs l'are successively brought into 'action to oppose the extension of the -oounterpoise .3. A counterpoise .embodying `.casings, a plunger recipro'callyv mounted therein, resilient means for extending the counterpoise, a conned and an unconned spring carried with the easing, and means carried by the plunger whereby after initial extension of the counterpose the springs are successively brought into action to oppose the extension of 1the counterpoise.

4. A counterpoise embodying a casing, a plunger reciprocally mounted therein, resilf ient means for extending the counterpoise, a plurality ofspringsl carried with -the casing,y and means carried by the plunger 'whereby after initial extension of the counterpoise the springs are successively brought into action to oppose the extension ot the counterpoise.

5. A counter-poise embodying a casing, a plunger reciprocally mounted therein, resilient means for extending .the counterpoise, .a plurality of resilient means carried with the casing, and means carried by the plunger whereby after initial extension of the counterpoise said last mentionedvresilient means are successively brought into action to oppose the extension of the counterpoise.

.6. A counterpoise embodying a casing, a plunger reciprocally mounted therein, resilient means for extending the counterpoise, resilient means carried with the casing, and means carried by theplunger whereby ,after initial extension of the counterpoise said last mentioned resilient means are brought into action to oppose the extension of the counterpoise.

7. A counterpoise embodyinga casing, a plunger reciprocally mounted therein, resilient .means for extending the counterpoise, and means carried with the casing and c0- operating with the plunger 'after initial extension of the counterpoise to opposesaid extension.

8. Acounterpoi's'e embodying a casing, a plunger reciprocally mounted therein, resilient means` for extending the counterpoise, and means carried with .the casing and cooperating with the plunger to oppose the extension of the fcounterpoise.

BRYAN l). JOYCE. 

